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The teenager charged with physically maiming a UCSB police officer at last weekend’s Deltopia mega party in Isla Vista pleaded not guilty Monday to multiple felony counts including resisting an officer and assaulting a peace officer with the allegation of inflicting great bodily harm.

Authorities say 17-year-old Desmond Louis Edwards of Los Angeles sparked the civil unrest that consumed the seaside college town’s streets for more than four hours. Though he will be tried as an adult, Edwards — wearing a blue dress shirt and tie in court — has been held at Juvenile Hall in Santa Maria since his arrest.

Following arguments from public defender Mindi Boulet and prosecutor Mary Barron, Judge Thomas Adams reduced Edwards’s bail from $100,000 to $75,000 with the condition that he reside in his father’s home — and remain home between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. — and only travel to Santa Barbara for court hearings. He was also also ordered to not consume alcohol and will have to contact pre-trial services three times a week.

Last week, Sheriff’s officials said that a UCSB police officer had witnessed Edwards involved in a fight and that as he sought to grab Edwards, Edwards spun around and threw a backpack at the officer’s face, splitting open his forehead and knocking him to the ground. The officer is expected to return to duty within the next week or two.

On Monday, public defender Mindi Boulet argued the backpack contained only one half-full Bacardi bottle, not multiple bottles like reports have stated. The bottle also did not break, she argued, and one deputy’s account of the incident stated he only saw the UCSB officer fall to the ground when he attempted to reach out and grab Edwards, which would not cause such injuries.

She further discounted the belief that Edwards would not show up to court because he ran from the officer during the incident, pointing to his many supporters — his parents, family members, and a few friends were present — sitting in the audience.

She added that Edwards has no criminal record, is responsible for caring for his diabetic father, and had no intention of harming someone that night. “He’s a good kid with a good heart. He did not intend for anyone to get hurt.” She asked Adams to reduce his bail to $60,000 (per pre-trial recommendations) or release Edwards on his own recognizance.

Countering Boulet’s argument, prosecutor Mary Barron questioned his parents’ ability to guarantee Edwards attends his hearings. “What was the defendant doing unsupervised that evening in Isla Vista?” She further contended Edwards’s action of violence precipitated the “extreme violence” and that he used the backpack as a weapon, leaving the officer with “debilitating injuries.” Though he may not have any priors, she said, he remains a threat to public safety.

In a compromise, Adams reduced the bail by $25,000. Edwards will appear again in court on April 28. He faces a maximum sentence of 12 years in prison and a minimum sentence of probation.

Much of the debate surrounding Deltopia’s aftermath has centered on whether or not “out-of-towners” were largely to blame for the havoc. After Deltopia, an Isla Vista foot patrol lieutenant sent a letter to Isla Vista homeowners stating many of the people who threw bricks and bottles from inside their houses or apartments were tenants or friends of the tenants.

The letter explains that though they are unsure of all individuals involved, deputies compiled a list of addresses (and student information of who resides there) that they are certain were involved. Though the residents many not have participated in throwing objects, the letter states, the homes were used to house or “shelter” those who did. The arrest log from the incident should be sent out in the next week or so.

I find this all very unusual. Why haven't the officers "debilitating" wounds been seen by the public?

What the hell was a 17 year old punk from LA doing in IV that night?

He was making a name for himself...Kinda like the victim savior Joyce Dudley when she allows a minor no chance to defend himself against such a bias outcome which might include doing hard time.(Run the congressional aid / drunk driver whose on the clock on a suspended license through as quickly as you can. Make sure to give him the minimum plea deal ok. Cause he took responsibility for everything.)

...Next thing you'll be telling me is Joe Biden will be paid $30,000 a year in social security checks while he's earning a quarter million and flying around on air force two going to $5000 a plate fund raisers!

This punk is exactly that: A PUNK. Do NOT cut any deals, do NOT give this punk a chance, do NOT give in to the pc forces that are going to try and pull the race card.Doesn't matter what race/ethnicity this PUNK is, he's a criminal and he shows ZERO remorse.If you let this POS loose the losers win and that is the LAST thing, anyone needs.By the way, did you guys know who sponsors the deltopia facebook page? I will tell you: Fuzion Glass Gallery, 1115 State Street, 805-667-6401.Give those clowns a call and let them know what a great event they support, they may even know this little POS.

The footage from cameras installed on DP should help resolve what really happened, both for the Edwards incident and all the other fighting incidents and also the alleged projectile tossing from inside apartments.

A 17 year old's brain hasn't even finished developing. This is a teenager who made a stupid mistake. If he's given hard time, he's more likely to make a similar mistake again. This 17 year old does not belong in the prison system, if he goes in he may never come out. From a logical and human standpoint, it's clear he should get parole. He should face the consequences of his actions, but his life shouldn't potentially be thrown away after one act of impropriety.

Yes, he should face the consequences for his actions. He should not, however, be made an example of and forced to take on the consequences of the mob that escalated the situation. This kids actions are separate from the rioters. If the riot hadn't started, would he face the same charges for his independent actions?

@Ahem: Are you saying others threw that backpack at the cop?Also: I DO find it odd that an out-of-towner is so far being the only one charged. As I've said before, maybe they don't want to offend the parents who bankroll UCSB with their $$$

Don't thugs clean-up well? Blue dress shirt and tie sure doesn't look like the thug in IV that night wearing a "F da Police" t-shirt and Pants below the A$$ and a backpack. Even the look on his face shows 'like this ain't no thang'...

I guess when you are 17 and taking care of a diebetic dad you are entitled to grab some rum and party 100 miles from home. His lawyer makes him sound like an angel just out to blow off some steam and accidently assault a cop. Enjoy your stay in Santa Maria.

If this kid did what he is accused of, he should do some jail time. Assaulting an officer is not just a kid "blowing off steam." I went to UCSB and attended my share of wild parties in IV, and never once did anyone EVER attack a police officer, who sometimes hassled us for no good reason. Self control is just that - a personal responsibility. We live in a civilized society in which assaulting ANYONE is not legal, and it is just plain insanity to assault a police officer, because anyone with common sense (yes, even a 17 year old is expected by society to exercise common sense and obey the law) knows that police take attacks on them as a "special case". I'm not sure that's OK, but that's reality in the world in which we live.

About five years ago, I served on a jury in which we had to convict a young 20-something (an otherwise "good kid" with a wife and infant child who was on the SBCC football team and who was drunk at a party in IV with his teammates. A smaller guy who was even more drunk provoked him, and even struck him, and he retaliated by punching him in the face. No major damage was done, other than the "victim" being taken to GVCH and released. The DA thought it was a good idea to make an example out of this guy and charged him with felony assault and tried him (the rationale was largely that the accused was much bigger than the "victim"). I was the one holdout on the jury against conviction because someone gets punched out in IV every weekend, and almost NONE of them ever are arrested, let alone prosecuted. The football player was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and should not have punched anyone, but retaliated and got arrested. I finally had to vote to convict, as the judge's jury instructions were very clear, that if we found that he did what he was accused of doing - it was a crime and we HAD to find him guilty, according to the law, whether we agreed with it or not, and I finally reluctantly gave in. He was convicted and served jail time. If this guy had to go to jail, the kid who assaulted the cop should go to jail.

For at least 50 years LA kids have been coming up to UCSB/Isla Vista to party. UCSB knows this and a substantial portion of the students elect to come to UCSB (and SBCC as well) because they learned of it by such party events. What role UCSB has in this culpability is difficult to parse but clearly it is an institutional identity that the administration has not undone. Partly I think it is is due to the emphasis on graduate school academics and the giving up of any serious undergraduate discipline. This kid probably thought it a romantic and exciting quest to come from LA to party. Things "just get out of control" in Isla Vista and s**t happens. A more important test of whether he is a "punk" would be to look at any history of criminality. This incident alone does not take him that far.

Why is nearly EVERYBODY here so conditioned that they are ignoring the HUGE elephant in the room?? This is really disappointing.

The COPS AND THE MEDIA LIED about the events that precipitated the riot.. BIG SURPRISE! The cops were looking for any excuse to bring out the bearcats and non-lethal grenades.

This kid probably didn't even know he was a cop, the cop grabbed him from behind, he swung around and the cop fell to the ground. In fact he probably hit his head on the ground, this kid didn't do anything. And THIS starts a riot?? What a bunch of crap.

I hope they drop the charges on the kid and charge the entire police department with aggravated assault against all of the individuals in IV that night.

Oh boy, the appeaser of the criminals has spoken. Loony, go back under the rock whence you came from. You're living proof the better 1/2 of someone dripped down somebody's leg. You're a 1 idiot tea party. yeah, yeah, yeah, the war on drugs, blah, blah, blah, we get it, you're an idiot, case closed.

Because I read things and remember them. We already know the cops lied about the alcohol bottles and the backpack, cops are caught lying and covering up stuff like this all the time. Cops are very aggressive people, much more aggressive than most other people. I have no reason to ever believe any story the cops give.

"How come most of the people who live there were hiding in their apartments from the mob before things ugly?"

Most were hiding because the police presence was intimidating, I guarantee it. Also there was no music, so the crowds were probably a bit bored and already pissed at the cops.. but whose fault is that? The cops were the ones enforcing the noise ordinance, so that is their fault too.

"And you're now implying it's ok to deadly assault a noncop?"

We have no idea why this kid was fighting with somebody else, maybe they started it and he was defending himself. Turning around with a backpack on when somebody you can't see grabs you from behind is not assault. Stop being so deluded with the propaganda. There is no evidence he knew it was a cop before he turned around, there is no evidence he did anything to the cop besides push him onto the ground where he probably hit his head. The whole thing got blown out of proportion so the cops could perform their planned drill by causing a riot in IV and controlling the situation.

"And if a uniform isn't enough to signify someone is a cop, then what is?"

I would rather a person assault an officer than an innocent person, cops by definition are not innocent because they kidnap non-violent individuals on a daily basis. Cops should be in prison for their actions, so I have very little empathy for them.

Didn't know so many of y'all were racist. 'Thug', 'Punk', 'Criminal'. Try Juvenile Delinquent. Try being black in America with all that goes with it. Your friends, family end up in for profit prison, sometimes on trumped up charges. The percentage of jail population doesn't lie. How do you react when the police are coming after you? 12 years; only cuz you're black. Sparked the civil unrest that resulted in a riot? From swinging a backpack? ....and they won't arrest a white rancher who owes millions for using property WE own while his cattle turn the land to dust.

I get what you mean by institutionalized racism and that bs rancher in Nevada; but "an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind." I might produce violent imagery in art, but in the real world I abhor it. Racism didn't force that kid to hit ANYONE! And they will arrest that rancher, you can be sure.

The rancher in Nevada has owned that land for over 130 years, the federal government stole it from him. Not surprised at the folks who continue to fall for mainstream media propaganda.

There will be thousands of militia folks and thousands others protesting this weekend, let's see if the Feds decide to draw blood during the blood moon and on the anniversary of Waco (4/19) when the government slaughtered dozens of innocent children.

Just because something, a source/person, etc isn't mainstream; it doesn't mean it's good or correct!There's a difference between being gullible and paranoid vs discerning and critical.For xample, do you still really believe Oprah and Cosby conspired against Chappelle? Please tell me no.

I never said I believed that, I just thought it was an interesting angle and worth consideration. I have a hard time believing that in the midst of an extremely successful career Chappelle just went crazy and disappeared, but I really have no idea who was involved in threatening him and I would not be surprised if they were.

infowars is great and reports important stories that the mainstream media doesn't, for example when NATO backed Georgia invaded South Ossetia and bombed the apartments with innocent civilians and then Russia came in to defend South Ossetia and the apartment bombings and invasion was blamed on Russia. That's sort of a big deal, don't you think?

infowars was the biggest media outlet reporting the truth on that one, and many other stories. For example do you remember the Iranian speed boats? That turned out to be a false flag attempt, just as infowars had speculated:

Why would the Society of Architectural Historians want to undermine the local sovereignty of IV?

Honestly I wish my peers had thought of floatopia back when it would have merely spread over AIM to become big. We would have had a blast and would have invited all of our friends. I don't have any reason to speculate that these events were not created by IV residents because if there is one thing most IV residents like is a good party.

I heard there were three stabbings before the backpack fight, have they said who the victims were or was that all staged and fake to get the cops and the people scared and riled up so they could hold their staged riot? I have no doubt the riot was planned by the cops.

Ken, you really need to stop reading twitter accounts run by intelligence agents pretending to be citizens in foreign countries.

You are very wrong, it is well documented, but not well publicized.

"The New York Times, the BBC and Human Rights Watch have reported extensive evidence of U.S.-armed and trained Georgian troops attacking innocent civilians using cluster bombs and other banned weapons. The U.S. State Department, which initially backed Georgia strongly, now concedes that Georgia erred in launching its attack, while British Foreign Secretary David Miliband has condemned the Georgian government for its "reckless" attack. Officials of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe have come forward to demolish Georgia's absurd and self-serving claims that it was fighting a defensive war."

really loon? the dude who says the govt was involved in 9/11, sandy hook fakery, and a fake moon landing....

alrighty then. this conversation has pretty much peaked.

lawdy (anonymous profile)April 16, 2014 at 2:26 p.m

It hasn't truly peaked until someone invokes Godwin's Law by mentioning Hitler.

I would like to add however--to Loon's comments--by talking about the little green Commies who infiltrate my dreams and the current state of Indy car racing. I think it would be in keeping with how this thread has devolved.

"Odom found evidence that “America’s most powerful Senator may very well be right at the center of the Nevada land controversy” — Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV):

“(T)he government’s part in this fight appears to be fueled by corruption and profit. … The most likely scenario involves Harry Reid’s family, a Chinese green-energy company, the federal government and profit from ‘public land.’”

Through his research and reporting, Odom “connects the dots” between Sen. Reid, Reid’s son, a former Reid staffer who now heads the Bureau of Land Management, and China’s ENN Energy Group. Last week’s aggressive and brazen display by federal law enforcement in Nevada appears to have its roots in Big Government profiteering and cronyism."

lawdy, you should really do more fact checking before you post. Alex Jones actually has had Buzz Aldrin on his show and other astronauts who have walked on the moon and while he acknowledged that many of his listeners believed that the moon landing was a hoax and had to ask a couple questions for their sake, he himself is not convinced it was a hoax.

blah, I don't think there are many tea party gatherings around here. The last time I went to a Tea Party protest was December 16, 2007. That was the origins of the modern day tea party before Fox News hijacked it.

Also I would argue that the federal government has no right to own any land except for some buildings to govern from, defensive military bases and ports.

I would very likely philosophically support this Bundy guy if he just started grazing his cattle on empty federal land last week, but the fact that ownership of that land predates the state of Nevada causes me to have a real problem with the fact they are going after him.

Word around the campfire is the government is in the midst of a conspiracy to systematically wipe cattle grazing off the map in the western states.

Well the land was stolen by the ranchers from Native Americans if you want to see it as stolen. Even so, this guy isn't entitled to free grazing rights that law abiding ranchers and taxpayers pay for.I've seen this guy on TV, he's a Neofascist ready to sacrifice other people's lives for his paranoid looney tunes ideas. Hope they nab him fast before people get hurt.

I doubt very much that there is any plan to wipe cattle grazing off the map in western states. That is beyond loony. I would like to see some evidence for this, other than rumors by the deluded.

As for government-owned land, the more the better - it belongs to all of us.

Bundy probably respects the notion of private land when it applies to his own land, but what he is doing is the same as all the welfare queens, he no doubt derides. Using something that other people pay for, but he does not.

As for 90,000 acres being seized by the BLM, there are always two sides to a story. Funny thing is, I cannot find the other side of the story anywhere. Is this just another nutty conspiracy theory. Land assignments, I believe, would have to go through Congress - and I doubt that anything like that would happen. Cattle grazing could not be wiped out either, without the approval of Congress. This is probably as stupid as the rumors that Obama was going to take away everyone's guns. That could not happen without the approval of Congress either.

No, tabatha, when the government owns it, it belongs to NONE of us. In fact, since we are in debt, now it belongs to China. That is who Harry Reid is giving that land to eventually, a Chinese energy company....instead of somebody producing food for people HERE... When it belongs to THE PEOPLE it belongs to us. Bundy is a rancher who sells beef on the market place and provides a valuable service, it belongs to him, period, both legally and morally.

Ken, you have to understand how property ownership works (or is supposed to work). Unless his family personally removed native americans from that land, then the owner is whoever USES the land. If native americans were using it and they were removed by force then you have a point, although there is nobody to give it back to now so I would still give it to the person who is utilizing the land currently since they inherited it.

People who farm the land or graze animals on land own the land. That is the humanitarian outlook, anything else is neo-fascism when you start taking away land that people own and have worked on since before the state even EXISTED there.

Ken, I totally agree the kid deserves punishment. Loon actually brought up some possible hypotheticals on what might have happened that night, unlike all the other fiction and diversion that info wars spreads. If your news source gets several stories that wrong, askew, left field, it is no longer a news source, it is fictional entertainment.

Spacey: "Loon actually brought up some possible hypotheticals on what might have happened that night..."

No, loony babbled his usually anti-LEO, war on drugs is the cause of everything diatribe, a product of too many bongloads behind the keyboard. All he has are hypotheticals (as you state) & zero substance. Well, actually he has substances, but those are federally regulated. Hey loons, THEY'RE AFTER YOU!

Anybody else notice this law, SB 337, which expels students from community or state universities in California if they are found guilty of riot-related behavior? Seems it was passed after the SLO Mardi Gras riot of 2004.